South Korea fines Google $177 mln for blocking Android customisation

SEOUL: A South Korea’s antitrust regulator has fined Alphabet Inc’s Google 207 billion won ($176.64 million) for blocking customised versions of its Android operating system (OS), in the U.S. technology giant’s second setback in less than a month.

The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) on Tuesday said terms with device makers amounted to abuse of Google’s dominant market position that restricted competition in the mobile OS market.

Google in a statement said it intends to appeal. It said the ruling ignores benefits offered by Android’s compatibility with other programs and undermines advantages enjoyed by consumers.